Preview — The Chinese Maze Murders by Robert van Gulik

Poisoned plums, a cryptic scroll picture, passionate love letters, and a hidden murderer with a penchant for torturing and killing women lead Judge Dee to the heart of the Governor’s garden maze and the answers to three interwoven mysteries. The Chinese Maze Murders represents Robert van Gulik’s first venture into writing suspense novels after the success of Dee G

A.D. 670

Poisoned plums, a cryptic scroll picture, passionate love letters, and a hidden murderer with a penchant for torturing and killing women lead Judge Dee to the heart of the Governor’s garden maze and the answers to three interwoven mysteries. The Chinese Maze Murders represents Robert van Gulik’s first venture into writing suspense novels after the success of Dee Gong An, his translation of an anonymous Chinese detective novel from the sixteenth century.

Community Reviews

On the way, after a long, slow, dull journey to his new post, in Lan-fang, just over the next ridge, the astute magistrate, Judge Dee, from the Imperial capital, Chang'an (Xi'an), has four horse drawn carts , three wives, an unknown number of children, four trusted lieutenants, drivers, servants and ten highwaymen, who ambush the entourage, in a small valley, from the cover of a forest, below the hills of remote, northwestern China, on the border with barbarian hordes, who roam across the river.On the way, after a long, slow, dull journey to his new post, in Lan-fang, just over the next ridge, the astute magistrate, Judge Dee, from the Imperial capital, Chang'an (Xi'an), has four horse drawn carts , three wives, an unknown number of children, four trusted lieutenants, drivers, servants and ten highwaymen, who ambush the entourage, in a small valley, from the cover of a forest, below the hills of remote, northwestern China, on the border with barbarian hordes, who roam across the river. These amateur bandits, are no match for the authentic, former highwaymen, Ma Joong and Chiao Tai, and clever thief, Tao Gan, all reformed, by Dee, and working for the law now, the judge also does his part very well indeed, the other man, Sergeant Hoong, an intelligent, long serving, family retainer, is too old to play. The cowardly drivers and servants had fled the tussle and return afterwards, only when the quick victory was apparent. The seven surviving, road agents, are captured, and tied up, (the three dead ones, also put in a cart for an inglorious burial ), and ready for justice, by the state, including a young attractive woman, the defenders received a few lumps and bruises ... Getting the gates open in the frontier town, takes time, it puzzles the government officials, until they learn that a tyrant has taken over this little provincial city, in the middle of nowhere, by the name of Chien Mow, with a hundred of his criminal followers. What to do? The nearest army base is three days away , and the magistrate finds his Tribunal house falling apart, dust and rats live there, vital documents are in disarray, and unused for many years, it seems, the former magistrate hastily left before Dee's arrival, very inappropriately, and was a complete puppet of Chien Mow. The Judge needs more men so he pardons the robbers and makes them constables! Dark Orchard, the female bandit becomes his maid and spy and her father Fang, an ex- blacksmith and leader of the gang, chief of his police force ! The group had to leave the city because of the oppressive rule . Army deserters also join his unconventional band ...Mysteries permeates this place like a black fog, White Orchard, Black Orchard's older sister has vanished, Pan, the magistrate eight years ago, was murdered, General Ding , retired, with a dubious reputation, was killed in a locked room, at his home, impossible to have been opened, and a disputed will, between a greedy , cold hearted son, Yoo Kee, of an illustrious former Governor Yoo, his first child, and the poor second wife and her little son, a painting by the late governor, is key to the case. And clues point to his country estate , just east of the city, with an impenetrable massive maze, ( a local legend ), many stories of wild animal lurking about there, somber shadows in the daytime, snakes and hidden secrets, deadly pools, with unidentified creatures below the surface, the reluctant Dee has to investigate, and not feeling too happy . But he, must start by overthrowing the brutal tyrant and begin his duties to the Chinese Empire, and the Tang Dynasty, our overwhelmed judge, learns later, of a plot by the barbarians, with the help from traitors, inside the walls, to attack the city ......more

I had read this before--decades ago as a teen and can't say even after reading it again I could say I remembered it--which is a point against it. It's a historical mystery set in China's Tang Dynasty around 700 AD and featuring Judge Dee. He's a historical figure with the kind of legendary reputation of a Sherlock Holmes as a detective. The plot is clever that way--worthy of a Conan Doyle, if not with the memorable and jaw-dropping quality of Christie. The style is rather clunky. Robert van GuliI had read this before--decades ago as a teen and can't say even after reading it again I could say I remembered it--which is a point against it. It's a historical mystery set in China's Tang Dynasty around 700 AD and featuring Judge Dee. He's a historical figure with the kind of legendary reputation of a Sherlock Holmes as a detective. The plot is clever that way--worthy of a Conan Doyle, if not with the memorable and jaw-dropping quality of Christie. The style is rather clunky. Robert van Gulik first wrote this in Chinese for Asian audiences, then translated it into English--actually to facilitate it being translated into Japanese before ever thinking to put this before a Western audience. He was a Dutch diplomat and English would not have been his first language--not sure if that factors in. His recurring characters are likeable if not complex.

Yet despite that I'm fond of this novel and the series--enough to give it four stars. These are clever and satisfying mysteries but for me what makes these novels special is the setting. Van Gulik obviously knew and loved China and its history and culture. He served as a diplomat there and had translated classic Chinese literature. His purpose in writing The Chinese Maze Murders according to his forward was to create a mystery novel along the lines of classic Chinese mysteries that would appeal both to contemporary Asians and Westerners and I loved the result. One of the major differences between that model and the Western sort of mystery is that instead of one central mystery, Dee has three cases that are woven into the plot, and this allows us to roam among all classes of Chinese society of the time. Mind you, the story is deliberately anachronistic. Like his models, Van Gulik frames the story as being told by a man of the Ming Dynasty almost a thousand years later, and the details Van Gulik warns us are of that time, not of the time it is set. Regardless, Van Gulik's novel and series has the quality of the best historical fiction: Judge Dee and the people surrounding him feel very much of their own place and time--not our own. That's a lot of the fascination. And yet sometimes it seems startingly modern in unexpected ways. That's part of the fascination too....more

I am a long-time fan of Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee series of mysteries. Van Gulik, a celebrated Orientalist and linguist and the Dutch ambassador to Japan, was fluent in Mandarin, among other Asian languages; his first Judge Dee book, Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, was actually a translation of the cases of an actual Tang Dynasty magistrate and statesman by the name of Dee Goong An (sometimes transliterated as Dee Jen-Djieh and Dí Rénjié). Van Gulik realized that, if he recast the case files aI am a long-time fan of Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee series of mysteries. Van Gulik, a celebrated Orientalist and linguist and the Dutch ambassador to Japan, was fluent in Mandarin, among other Asian languages; his first Judge Dee book, Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, was actually a translation of the cases of an actual Tang Dynasty magistrate and statesman by the name of Dee Goong An (sometimes transliterated as Dee Jen-Djieh and Dí Rénjié). Van Gulik realized that, if he recast the case files as mysteries by withholding the solution, these true-life investigations and court cases would make find mysteries. And so they do!

The Chinese Maze Murders marks one of the first of 16 novels, novellas, and short-story collections in which Van Gulik, inspired by court cases and his own imagination, actually penned the plots. (The Chinese Maze Murders was the first of Van Gulik's own Judge Dee tomes published, but it ranks third chronologically after The Chinese Gold Murders, my favorite Judge Dee book, and The Chinese Bell Murders.) The writing style is a bit formal, as you'd expect from books written 40 to 60 years ago. (Although himself Dutch, Van Gulik wrote these novels in English, which may also account for the formal phrasing.) However, the plots are very enjoyable, and the books act as a window into a far-off time and a very different sensibility. Van Gulik tried to retain the ancient Chinese flavor of the stories, and you'll find omens, luck, ghosts, and other supernatural phenomena play a part in some of the stories -- as they would have when recounted and transcribed more than 1,300 years ago. They also, as according to Chinese custom at the time, usually involve three intertwined cases. (So that isn't an over-the-top touch, but an homage to the original authors/scribes.)

Adventurous readers interested in something unlike anything else they'd read or those who have an interest in Ancient China will devour these books, as I have. The plots are quite clever, and Judge Dee's henchman -- in particular, his brawny lieutenant Ma Joong -- frequently add humor to the tales. I can particularly recommend the first book, The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, and Van Gulik's own The Chinese Bell Murders, The Haunted Monastery, The Emperor's Pearl, The Red Pavilion, and the short-story collection Judge Dee at Work: Eight Chinese Detective Stories....more

This is officially my first review on GoodReads!!! It is also one of my first reviews ever. So, bare with me.

The Chinese Maze Murders by Robert Hans van Gulik, is very different from books with younger (more innocent/pure) characters in fantasy/sci-fi settings that I am usually drawn to. I have owned this book for at least 3 or 4 years and never even read the back cover or needless to say, cracked it open. I wish I had sooner.

This book was delightfully enjoyable. I liked the mixture of civil andThis is officially my first review on GoodReads!!! It is also one of my first reviews ever. So, bare with me.

The Chinese Maze Murders by Robert Hans van Gulik, is very different from books with younger (more innocent/pure) characters in fantasy/sci-fi settings that I am usually drawn to. I have owned this book for at least 3 or 4 years and never even read the back cover or needless to say, cracked it open. I wish I had sooner.

This book was delightfully enjoyable. I liked the mixture of civil and criminal investigations occurring simultaneously. Adding political issues to be dealt with, this story kept you reading. This book went all over the place in approximately a weeks time, but did it in an organized way that made you capable of following everything that was happening. The solutions to the criminal cases were also greatly interesting (and reading about the Chinese sources in the end made it ever more so).

The foreword, postscript and Chinese sources all added interesting insight into the book. The foreword made me think about Chinese culture more while reading (which was also a great aspect to this book considering I know next to nothing about Chinese writing/culture). The postscript and sources helped wrap up and explain the details of the story.

I overall thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I will definitely be looking to add some more Judge Dee Mysteries to my future reading list....more

Judge Dee wades through a maze of murders, motivations and mendacity to unravel three tricky mysteries and foil a barbarian invasion in the process. I particularly liked the depiction of the old hermit who gives Dee various gnomic but crucial clues and makes the formidable magistrate briefly consider giving up the hurly-burly of public service for a life of rural seclusion.

The Chinese Maze Murders is my absolute favourite in the Judge Dee series, which spans 17 books in all - including Van Gulik's original translation of Dee Gong An and two short story-collections. Some of these (short) stories were reworked into graphic novels by Van Gulik and graphic artist Frits Kloezeman, to be published in Het Utrechtsch Nieuwsblad and other Dutch papers from 1964-1985.

I have been reading and re-reading these books since I was about ten years of age. History, fiction and mystThe Chinese Maze Murders is my absolute favourite in the Judge Dee series, which spans 17 books in all - including Van Gulik's original translation of Dee Gong An and two short story-collections. Some of these (short) stories were reworked into graphic novels by Van Gulik and graphic artist Frits Kloezeman, to be published in Het Utrechtsch Nieuwsblad and other Dutch papers from 1964-1985.

I have been reading and re-reading these books since I was about ten years of age. History, fiction and mystery are neatly combined into detective stories that follow the typical pattern in Chinese detective fiction of the Magistrate solving various cases - which may be interconnected, but not always are - simultaneously. In the Maze Murders, tying in character background with the plot (specifically, one of Dee's lieutenants, Chiao Tai) makes for a very compelling read. The case of the murder in the locked room is a classic, often used in detective fiction, and given a fresh spin (if one can speak of "fresh" in the case of a book written in 1950!) by the presence of two murder weapons. It ties in so very beautifully to the case of the hidden testament and that of the missing girl, interconnecting the three through circumstance rather than by design.

The historicity of the book (and the rest of the series) is interesting: though it takes place during the T'ang dynasty, around 670 AD, the description is of Ming dynasty life. This is in keeping with the Chinese author's penchant for casting a story that takes place in the past in contemporary terms. Invariably, the five books in the "main" series (The Chinese Gold, Lake, Bell, Maze and Nail Murders), are preceded by a chapter written from the viewpoint of a Ming dynasty official, merchant, or other personage, who, following a ghostly encounter of some sort, recounts one of the specific Judge Dee mysteries.

A definite recommendation for anyone who enjoys either ancient China, detective novels, or both!...more

A highly enjoyable detective set in ancient China. Robert van Gulik definitely made me interested in reading more in this genre. He bases his stories on an old Chinese genre of writing detective stories, which revolve around the magistrate: a government official who was in charge of justice. He was the detective and the judge in one.

The story is streamlined to revolve around the mysteries, with the historical and cultural context as a background. Therefore, unlike historical novels pure sang, aA highly enjoyable detective set in ancient China. Robert van Gulik definitely made me interested in reading more in this genre. He bases his stories on an old Chinese genre of writing detective stories, which revolve around the magistrate: a government official who was in charge of justice. He was the detective and the judge in one.

The story is streamlined to revolve around the mysteries, with the historical and cultural context as a background. Therefore, unlike historical novels pure sang, all historical details which are unnecessary for the story to be told are left out. It is therefore an action-packed, quick and enjoyable read.

However, it in no way suffers from a lack of historical grounding. Gulik has done his research and his knowledge of ancient China, as well as the original Chinese detective stories, shows. His main character is a known historical figure from the Tang dynasty and he has done considerable research for his character and his cases, as well as the court and police proceedings of the time. Furthermore, the afterword explains how Gulik used several narrative elements in the original Chinese detective stories.

My only squabble with the book is that the language, especially in the beginning, was a tad old fashioned and therefore it took some time to get into the story. As my edition is rather old (1956), that might not be an issue in later translations and reprints....more

I first read the Judge Dee novels during the 1970s and recently decided to re-read a couple of them, to see if they were as good as I remembered. Before reading this one, though, I feared that I might not find them as enjoyable as I once did. However, my fear disappeared after the first chapter, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Dee novels, written by the Dutch author Robert Van Gulik during the 1950s and '60s, are set in China during the Tang Dynasty, and the actual Judge Dee (Ti Jen-Chie) lived fI first read the Judge Dee novels during the 1970s and recently decided to re-read a couple of them, to see if they were as good as I remembered. Before reading this one, though, I feared that I might not find them as enjoyable as I once did. However, my fear disappeared after the first chapter, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Dee novels, written by the Dutch author Robert Van Gulik during the 1950s and '60s, are set in China during the Tang Dynasty, and the actual Judge Dee (Ti Jen-Chie) lived from 630-700 AD. The book contains a cast of characters and about twenty illustrations. I found the latter quite enjoyable as they helped me visualize the characters.

According to the author, in the Chinese tradition of mystery novels, the hero must solve three separate mysteries that occur during the same time. In this book the three mysteries worked very well. One was a murder in a locked room. Another was an inheritance based on a drawing, and the third was the disappearance of a young women. While Judge Dee is solving these three cases, he also must deal with a possible invasion of his walled city by tribes from the north.

This is one of the famous Judge Dee mysteries based on an historical character from the Tang Dynasty. Robert van Gulik researched and then stylistically replicated with great accuracy a Chinese murder mystery that he felt would appeal to Westerners. At the time of the original publication I don't think there was another series quite like the Judge Dee books. The Chinese Maze Murders presents Judge Dee with three mysteries to solve ( a conceit used in ancient Chinese mysteries) shortly after he aThis is one of the famous Judge Dee mysteries based on an historical character from the Tang Dynasty. Robert van Gulik researched and then stylistically replicated with great accuracy a Chinese murder mystery that he felt would appeal to Westerners. At the time of the original publication I don't think there was another series quite like the Judge Dee books. The Chinese Maze Murders presents Judge Dee with three mysteries to solve ( a conceit used in ancient Chinese mysteries) shortly after he arrives in a remote border town, not unlike one you might find in the American West at one time. The town is controlled by a gangster/warlord, the official government official has left the government building in a shambles and barbarians are threatening to storm the walls. Judge Dee arrives with his entourage and immediately begins to rescue the town from the villains, solve the trio of murders and mete out justice, such as it was in the Tang Dynasty times. The story is complex, culturally interesting, and very unique. Others in this series are equally worthwhile.

The author's afterward explains much of his research and the facts he based the fictional character upon. Mr vanGulik also devised his own Romanizaiton system to help the reader unfamiliar with Chinese language pronunciation. Rereading this book proved enjoyable and I look forward to discussing it in tandem with Death of the Red Heroine, a modern Chinese murder mystery....more

The Judge Dee novels by Robert van Gulik are a strange beast. The author was in the Dutch diplomatic service in Asia during WWII and decided to translate an old Chinese mystery novel based on stories of the historical Judge Dee Renjie. (the Tang-era personality still is well-known in China, there have been two high-end movies and multiple TV series based on the same character within the last decade or so). The original book, the Dee Gong An, was written by an anonymous author in 17th century MinThe Judge Dee novels by Robert van Gulik are a strange beast. The author was in the Dutch diplomatic service in Asia during WWII and decided to translate an old Chinese mystery novel based on stories of the historical Judge Dee Renjie. (the Tang-era personality still is well-known in China, there have been two high-end movies and multiple TV series based on the same character within the last decade or so). The original book, the Dee Gong An, was written by an anonymous author in 17th century Ming-dynasty China, and recounted three cases as they were solved by the main character and his assistants. After this translation saw some success on the market van Gulik decided to try his hand on writing mysteries in the same style as the original book, which makes this book, and all of the 14 or so that followed, basically fanfiction. Rather good fanfiction though, and some that captures ancient China in a way that it hardly has been before or after in the west. Robert van Gulik was a noted Sinologist, and he seemed to go out of his way to let his knowledge shine through, even if the structure of the novel was slightly westernized. (traditional Chinese mysteries had a Columbo-style reverse Whodunit format, where the murderer is known from the beginning).

The Chinese Maze Murders is one of the earlier books in the series, and very closely follows the model set by the original book, but allows for some deviations. One of these is the framing narrative which has a Ming-dynasty gentleman writing down a story related by someone he met in a wineshop. Which explains why this story has the social conventions of the Ming Dynasty instead of the Tang Dynasty, and all other historical inaccuracies. (cute, but a bit bothersome; van Gulik would later fade out this part of his narrative structure, after it became more and more bothersome to use it).It also has a slightly cumbersome beige prose format, which takes getting used to. This is a direct holdover from the original novel, which tried to related things like a true crime account/court document than a western novel. This also would be abandoned in later novels.

Judge Dee has just been assigned to the far off border province of Fan Lan when he already has to deal with a few mysteries and a political powder keg: a local strongman has taken over the city by bribery and force and killed at least one previous magistrate, a widow relates the story of a weird testament to him, a girl has disappeared, and a retired general has been murdered in his own locked study. The judge and his assistants go on doing their jobs trying to unravel these mysteries at the same time.

It is this interconnectedness of the cases which makes these novels so interesting. A judge/magistrate in ancient China often had his hands full with things and could not just leave one case lie around while he cared about the others. And so one case might be solved, but in it's wake leave an even bigger mystery.

In my opinion this is a perfect little gem of a book. Later books in the series varied the formula towards a more westernized form of storytelling, but in this book we have something that both provides a look at normal life in ancient China, and a good mystery story. ...more

And now for something completely different ... The Chinese Maze Murders, the first of Robert Van Gulik's Judge Dee Mystery series, published in 1956. And, no kidding: these are the tales of Lan-fang's new newly arrived District Magistrate who is detective, prosecutor and judge in T'ang Dynasty China -- roughly 670 AD. Although a true historical figure, the stories are an amalgamation and re-imagining of many such stories that make up traditional Chinese literature. In this first outing, Judge DeAnd now for something completely different ... The Chinese Maze Murders, the first of Robert Van Gulik's Judge Dee Mystery series, published in 1956. And, no kidding: these are the tales of Lan-fang's new newly arrived District Magistrate who is detective, prosecutor and judge in T'ang Dynasty China -- roughly 670 AD. Although a true historical figure, the stories are an amalgamation and re-imagining of many such stories that make up traditional Chinese literature. In this first outing, Judge Dee arrives in the city, cleans up corruption, solves multiple murders and is confronted by an overwhelming invasion by barbarians from north. Will right or might prevail?

Judge Dee, in riding toward Lan-fang to take up his post as District Magistrate, is accosted by a small band of robbers. Dee and his two loyal subordinates subdue the attackers (and kill a couple); it is the prelude to their arrival in the city only to discover the Tribunal facility in disarray. They quickly learn the city has been under the thumb of a local tyrant, Chien Mow: Judge Dee represents authority from the Capital and quickly sets about cleaning up the city. A series of clever ruses puts the Judge in the advantage as other mysteries come to light, including the murder of a local businessman, and the suspicious will left by a retired Governor, as well as helping shed light on the lost daughters Judge Dee's new hired hands. Miraculously, the threads of these disparate mysterious begin to come together and the Judge shows his risk taking, and wisdom, in solving these puzzles.

Gulik, a Dutch citizen born in China in 1910, was a career diplomat who knew Dutch, Chinese, Japanese and English; this novel, based on Chinese sources, was written originally in Japanese by van Gulik and translated into English by van Gulik; the balance of the series was written in English only. The stories race along at a pretty fair clip, with little reflection or homilies or character development. But there is charm in the pacing, and the setting is definitely "exotic", to say nothing of the puzzles laid out and solved, sometimes in the nick of time. Recommended....more

The Chinese Maze Murders is the second novel to feature Judge Dee, although the first to be directly written by Robert Van Gulik. Judge Dee is assigned to work as the Governor of Lan-Fang after Governor Yoo resigned his commission for an unknown reason. On his arrival he finds a near deserted town riddled with corruption. He starts to clear up the mess left by Governor Yoo when an old General is found murdered in locked room with seemingly no way the murderer could have entered or left. As he inThe Chinese Maze Murders is the second novel to feature Judge Dee, although the first to be directly written by Robert Van Gulik. Judge Dee is assigned to work as the Governor of Lan-Fang after Governor Yoo resigned his commission for an unknown reason. On his arrival he finds a near deserted town riddled with corruption. He starts to clear up the mess left by Governor Yoo when an old General is found murdered in locked room with seemingly no way the murderer could have entered or left. As he investigates he uncovers a plot that could threaten Chinese rule.

Last sentence: "He swung himself in the saddle and rode back to the city."

From Wikipedia: The Chinese Maze Murders is a detective novel written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China. It is a fiction based on the real character of Judge Dee (Ti Jen-chieh or Di Renjie - chin: 狄仁傑), a magistrate and statesman of the Tang court, who lived roughly 630–700. However, van Gulik's novel is sFirst sentence: "Judge Dee leaned back in his chair."

P. 99: "Chien stared at the judge with burning eyes."

Last sentence: "He swung himself in the saddle and rode back to the city."

From Wikipedia: The Chinese Maze Murders is a detective novel written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China. It is a fiction based on the real character of Judge Dee (Ti Jen-chieh or Di Renjie - chin: 狄仁傑), a magistrate and statesman of the Tang court, who lived roughly 630–700. However, van Gulik's novel is set not in the Tang, but in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), society and customs depicted in the book reflect this period.

This was the first of the fictional mystery stories written by Robert van Gulik. It was based on three actual cases from Chinese criminal investigations.

Judge Dee is the magistrate in the fictional border town of Lan-fang. He confronts three mysteries involving poisoned plums, a mysterious scroll picture, passionate love letters, a hidden murder, and a ruthless robber. These are all somehow linked to the Governor's garden maze.

When you are looking for a fun and relaxing summer-read, you could read this book (although there are some explicit violence scenes). Judge Dee is an amiable person who reminds me strangely enough a lot of Georges Simenons Maigret character, not only in his relations with other people, but also in the way he solves his cases. There are three cases that demand his attention during the first week after his arrival in Lan-fang (The Case of the Murder in the Sealed Room, The Case of the Hidden Testament and The Case of the Girl with the Severed Head), and they are strangely interwoven with each other.

And of course he solves them all.

I did enjoy the book, but I thought the characters remained a bit flat. It was as if they were all caricatures: the pensive judge, the nonchalant artist, the loyal servant, the violent soldier, etc....more

There are three intertwined mysteries in this book, complicated by corrupt local administrations and an impending barbarian invasion. Judge Dee, of course, solves the mysteries, defeats the barbarians, and establishes an honest government. It's how he does these things, and the characters he meets, that make this a good story.

Judge Dee once again encounters some reluctant criminals on the road. This encounter helps establish Judge Dee's character for the new reader. Most of the characters, evenThere are three intertwined mysteries in this book, complicated by corrupt local administrations and an impending barbarian invasion. Judge Dee, of course, solves the mysteries, defeats the barbarians, and establishes an honest government. It's how he does these things, and the characters he meets, that make this a good story.

Judge Dee once again encounters some reluctant criminals on the road. This encounter helps establish Judge Dee's character for the new reader. Most of the characters, even the true villains, are fairly complex, with good and evil sides.

Recommended.

Note that this is the Amazon Kindle edition, scanned (apparently) from the University of Chicago print edition. There are several errors that seem to be due to artifacts from the scanning and OCR process. Enough to be distracting. The file really would have benefited from better editing before being released as an ebook....more

I do enjoy the Van Gulik Dee murders. They may not be much for mysteries in that you can't really try and figure out who did it, as the murderers aren't always in the stories till later but they are still quite fun. This one I had to say was a little more chaotic than normal. It had around 5 different storylines and plots at the same time. There wasn't much interconnectedness and they all got resolved quite quickly. There was the case of a painting revealing an inhertiance which I was sure was uI do enjoy the Van Gulik Dee murders. They may not be much for mysteries in that you can't really try and figure out who did it, as the murderers aren't always in the stories till later but they are still quite fun. This one I had to say was a little more chaotic than normal. It had around 5 different storylines and plots at the same time. There wasn't much interconnectedness and they all got resolved quite quickly. There was the case of a painting revealing an inhertiance which I was sure was used in another Dee book, there was a maze and traitors who were helping a Uigar invasion, a young girl who was killed (possibly by a lesbian). There was also rather a lot of torture in the tribunal in this one. It was interesting to see a European interpretation of a Ming dynasty interpretation of Tang China, not terribly authentic but still entertaining. ...more

Just started this (found in a 2nd hand shop and I'll confess, I mainly got it for research purposes) but what a little gem. !960's book and surprisingly easy to read and quite fascinating. Reads a bit like a Victorian novel. Early days (only 15 pages in) but could be my next compulsive collecting fad (there are about 4 other nooks in the series

This was a success of setting a detective story into the past. I also liked it that there was a lot happening in the book - three mysteries that were solved, and also other intrigue. And because the setting is in the past, the book does not seem dated! Well, any more than it already is.

Only so-so but it has the glow of quasi believable antiquity. I read the introduction and totally didn't believe it. Chinese detective stories from the 1600s?! I'm still not quite clear on the source materials. It all reminds me of many movies set in ancient China. The text is pretty turgid, my husband finds it ideal as a going to sleep book.

This is a reread of a series associated with happiness and joy. I was a bit reluctant to reread these again. Well, I was worried for nothing. It's still captivates me, makes me smile, laugh and angry a bit too (there's plot point in this novel I didn't remember and now many years later makes me cringe. That plot point aside, I liked the friendships between Judge Dee and his staff, the way Dee finds the answers and solves the puzzles are usually crafty and cunning.

I liked it them, I like it nowThis is a reread of a series associated with happiness and joy. I was a bit reluctant to reread these again. Well, I was worried for nothing. It's still captivates me, makes me smile, laugh and angry a bit too (there's plot point in this novel I didn't remember and now many years later makes me cringe. That plot point aside, I liked the friendships between Judge Dee and his staff, the way Dee finds the answers and solves the puzzles are usually crafty and cunning.

I liked it them, I like it now despite the use of the 'bad', crazy woman. it's not recent (Van Gulik writes in the post-script that it was used in the traditional detective stories in China forever) it's just it gets tiresome to make the vilain of the story a gay character. Single White Female in medieval China. ...more

Really nicely interwoven plot. A bit slow for my tastes, but with a lovely setting. The only thing that irks me is not hearing about Judge Dee's wives and children, but I suppose it's not that sort of book (they're mentioned off screen a few times)

If you've found these books, you already likely are familiar with them and what they are about - neither the author nor his style are exactly household names so I needn't sell you on the virtues of these books.

If you haven't, I can say that if you're truly looking for a change from the typical western mystery you will enjoy the more deliberate pacing, the unique setting and the way that the title character is Detective, Judge and Jury. The scenes of violence - descriptions of courtroom violenceIf you've found these books, you already likely are familiar with them and what they are about - neither the author nor his style are exactly household names so I needn't sell you on the virtues of these books.

If you haven't, I can say that if you're truly looking for a change from the typical western mystery you will enjoy the more deliberate pacing, the unique setting and the way that the title character is Detective, Judge and Jury. The scenes of violence - descriptions of courtroom violence or the always grizzly executions might be a turn off to some, but they aren't drawn out and can be skimmed over if you like.

The books are worth a look. They won't be for everyone, but if you're open to them you should enjoy this quite a bit....more

I really enjoyed this book. The author was a student of ancient Chinese history and it shows in the level of detail which he includes, although the detail is not so heavy as to impede the stories. If it seemed a little slow at first, it was likely because the novel is based on real cases and written in a style the author felt would best reflect its origins.

The character of Judge Dee is a marvelous showcase of a Confucianist magistrate at the peak of Confucianism in China. An extremely virtuousI really enjoyed this book. The author was a student of ancient Chinese history and it shows in the level of detail which he includes, although the detail is not so heavy as to impede the stories. If it seemed a little slow at first, it was likely because the novel is based on real cases and written in a style the author felt would best reflect its origins.

The character of Judge Dee is a marvelous showcase of a Confucianist magistrate at the peak of Confucianism in China. An extremely virtuous man, he's neither stiff nor cynical, and has both a great understanding of human nature as well as an extremely sharp intellect.

For fans of historical mysteries, this is definitely not one to miss....more

Unlike modern western mysteries where the detective has one case to solve in the course of the story, Judge Dee solves several, mostly unrelated, cases. As a result the feel of the story is more "slice of life" than "dramatic event", which I enjoyed.

Potential readers should be aware that the story does reflect the culture of the times, both that of the writer and that of Judge Dee. There is a lot of casual violence in the day to day life of the characters, torture is a valid way to obtain confesUnlike modern western mysteries where the detective has one case to solve in the course of the story, Judge Dee solves several, mostly unrelated, cases. As a result the feel of the story is more "slice of life" than "dramatic event", which I enjoyed.

Potential readers should be aware that the story does reflect the culture of the times, both that of the writer and that of Judge Dee. There is a lot of casual violence in the day to day life of the characters, torture is a valid way to obtain confessions, and any executions will be detailed at the end. The violence is not glorified, it's just what happens, but if someone is flayed until their bones are exposed you will know it....more

This was an interesting detective story type book. I liked how it seemed to be accurately set in T'ang Dynasty China, both in how the society and officialdom was organized, and in how people spoke and behaved. The use of torture as a means of solving crimes and the harsh punishments meted out may have offended my sensibilities, but I suppose that was also an accurate representation of the setting. Some things were a bit to obvious. (view spoiler)[For example in the case of the inheritance of theThis was an interesting detective story type book. I liked how it seemed to be accurately set in T'ang Dynasty China, both in how the society and officialdom was organized, and in how people spoke and behaved. The use of torture as a means of solving crimes and the harsh punishments meted out may have offended my sensibilities, but I suppose that was also an accurate representation of the setting. Some things were a bit to obvious. (view spoiler)[For example in the case of the inheritance of the widow Yoo from the first mention of the scroll painting and the maze I knew how that would turn out. (hide spoiler)]...more

Two books in one of my favorite mystery series, the Judge Dee novels, about a 7th-century Chinese magistrate. Robert van Gulik evokes the setting well. Even though he knew much more about ancient China than the reader, he never pulls a bad sci-fi move such as having the characters tell each other the social context they should already know. Van Gulik was also great at physical settings (here, a 200-year-old monastery during a summer thunderstorm and Lan-fang, a town on the northwest border thatTwo books in one of my favorite mystery series, the Judge Dee novels, about a 7th-century Chinese magistrate. Robert van Gulik evokes the setting well. Even though he knew much more about ancient China than the reader, he never pulls a bad sci-fi move such as having the characters tell each other the social context they should already know. Van Gulik was also great at physical settings (here, a 200-year-old monastery during a summer thunderstorm and Lan-fang, a town on the northwest border that the trade route has passed by.)...more

Robert Hans van Gulik was a Dutch diplomat best know for his Judge Dee stories. His first published book, The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, was a translation of an eighteenth-century Chinese murder mystery by an unknown author; he went on to write new mysteries for Judge Dee, a character based on a historical figure from the seventh century. He also wrote academic books, mostly on Chinese historyRobert Hans van Gulik was a Dutch diplomat best know for his Judge Dee stories. His first published book, The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, was a translation of an eighteenth-century Chinese murder mystery by an unknown author; he went on to write new mysteries for Judge Dee, a character based on a historical figure from the seventh century. He also wrote academic books, mostly on Chinese history....more